The Mind & Body Benefits Of Meditation

Meditation is a unique holistic practice because it provides benefits to both the body and the mind. People often think that meditation is solely a mental practice because it only involves the use of the mind. But the mind and body are deeply connected, so when you strengthen the mind, then you strengthen the body as well.

Meditation is essentially any practice that involves focusing your awareness on a single point without judgment and with a mindset of compassion. The form of meditation that is commonly practiced today, known as mindfulness meditation, actually originated out of an adaptation of the Buddhist style of Vipassana or insight meditation, and it was then adapted with more of a Western psychological focus. The program that led to the popularization of mindfulness in the West is called Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), and it was created by the psychologist Jon Kabat-Zinn. As you might be able to tell from the name of this program, it was initially developed to help the layperson reduce stress in their life.

Traditionally, the purpose of meditation was to achieve enlightenment, also known as nirvana or moksha. Today meditation is no longer restricted to monks hiding in caves in the Himalayas, and it has now become a more widespread practice. Meditation now focuses primarily on improving the overall wellness of the body, mind, and soul so that you can show up in your daily life in a better way. Modern research on meditation has revealed that this practice is immensely beneficial, both mentally and physically. Below you'll discover how this practice benefits your mind, body, and soul and how you can begin to practice this holistic wellness technique today!

The Mental Benefits of Meditation

Modern mindfulness meditation was initially developed as a method for reducing stress. Over time, scientific research has revealed that this practice is also beneficial to reduce anxiety, increase empathy, improve sleep, and reduce depression. Meditation is also helpful to enhance focus and concentration, enrich creativity, improve self-awareness, increase kindness and compassion, and bring you closer to self-actualization. Meditation is a unique practice because it can be performed by people of all ages, including children. Meditation can be a great way to improve your child’s development, teach them excellent emotional regulation skills, and promote greater family connection as well.

Meditation is a profoundly introspective practice, so as you spend this time to delve deeper into your inner being, it can help you to connect with your true self. The goal of meditation is ultimately to remove any conditionings, patterns, or habits in the mind to reveal your true self, find your purpose, and integrate all aspects of your consciousness. We all have both darkness and light within us, and meditation helps us to discover these different aspects of the self with a non-judgmental and compassionate understanding.

The Physical Benefits of Meditation

Stress causes a domino effect of physical health issues in the body because of the hormone cortisol. Therefore, by using meditation to reduce stress, this can prevent the overproduction of this stress hormone and reduce the prevalence of a variety of physical health issues. Specifically, research has shown that meditation can improve cardiovascular health, decrease blood pressure, relieve symptoms of physical pain, boost the immune system, assist with weight loss, treat headaches, and reduce age-related memory loss.

Contrary to popular belief, the mind and body are actually intimately connected. So, when you work to improve the mind through meditation practice, you are also working to strengthen the body at the same time. Meditation practice focuses a lot on introspection, so it can also help your physical health by bringing to your awareness any physical habits you may be doing that are bad for you. In this way, meditation practice also promotes the creation of a generally healthy lifestyle.

How to Practice Meditation

There are many ways to practice meditation, and it is essential to discover what technique works best for you. Some of the most popular styles of meditation are mindfulness meditation, and mantra meditation. Regardless of what form of meditation you choose to practice, the benefits will remain largely the same. A great style of meditation for beginners is mindfulness meditation. This meditation style is a simple breath awareness seated meditation practice that can help to develop the simple method of perception and internal focus.

To start practicing meditation, you can try some YouTube videos or check out your local yoga studio. Another great way to learn meditation is by using some of the top-rated meditation apps. Meditation apps are specially created to guide beginner students through meditation practice. They often contain a long list of different meditation styles and techniques guided by some of the most renowned meditation teachers in the wellness field. Meditation apps are also very cost-effective and easy to use when you are on the go. The best meditation apps to use to get you started on this practice are called Headspace and Calm. These two meditation apps have thousands of five-star reviews and vast libraries of guided meditations of various lengths and styles just waiting for you to press play and begin.

For a beginner, it is best to start practicing meditation with a teacher or guide, but over time you can eventually transition to practicing on your own. Meditation is a contemplative practice, so the ultimate goal is to delve into the core of your true self. By using various meditation apps, you can start learning the basic techniques of this practice and begin integrating meditation into your life.

Meditation is a unique holistic practice because it benefits you both mentally and physically at the same time. As an integrated individual, our minds and bodies contain connections through our nervous system and the gut-brain axis that cause widespread effects throughout our beings. By utilizing meditation for promoting wellness and healing in your life, you can uniquely target your mental health and physical health simultaneously. Meditation is easy to begin practicing and can be done by people of all ages and abilities. So, try starting a meditation practice in your life; all you need is 5-minutes every day to begin your journey towards inner and outer transformation!